T20 World Cup: Will India Shake Hands with Pakistan? Suryakumar Yadav Says ‘Wait for 24 Hours’

Ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 clash, India captain Suryakumar Yadav gave a cryptic reply on the handshake row with Pakistan, asking all to wait for match day. The issue began at Asia Cup when India declined a post-match handshake after an attack.

Team India skipper Suryakumar Yadav gave a cryptic response to whether the Men in Blue will shake hands with Pakistan players in the much-anticipated clash of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, February 15.

India and Pakistan’s handshake row erupted when Suryakumar Yadav–led side refused to shake hands with arch-rivals during the Asia Cup last year, as a mark of protest against the Pahalgam terror attack, which saw 26 Indian nationals being killed by militants in Baisaran Meadows, seven kilometres away from the Pahalgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on April 22.

The handshake row has been carried on in further tournaments, including the Women’s ODI World Cup, the U19 Asia Cup, and the recently concluded U19 World Cup, where similar gestures drew attention and intensified scrutiny ahead of every high-profile clash between the two sides.

‘Wait for 24 Hours’

Speaking at the press conference on the eve of the blockbuster clash in Colombo, Suryakumar Yadav was asked whether his team would shake hands with Pakistan at the toss and after the match. However, India skipper did not give a straightforward answer to the question, keeping it a suspense.

Suryakumar has urged everyone to wait until match day before drawing conclusions, given the sensitivity around the issues and the heightened atmosphere ahead of the high-profile clash between the two nations.

"Wait for 24 hours. We will play good cricket, then decide on it. Sleep well, eat good... wait for 24 hours."

Meanwhile, the marquee fixture will go ahead as per the schedule after Pakistan backtracked from its earlier stance of boycotting the Team India clash as an act of solidarity with Bangladesh, who were removed from the tournament following their refusal to play matches in India due to security concerns. The claims were rejected by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The intervention by Sri Lanka Cricket, Bangladesh Cricket Board, Emirates Cricket Board, and Imran Khawaja-led ICC delegation, who met PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, ensured that the marquee fixture goes ahead as per the schedule.

Suryakumar Yadav on Rivalry with Pakistan

Not very long ago, when Suryakumar Yadav stated that he doesn’t see India vs Pakistan as a rivalry anymore, given the dominant record against the Men in Green and stressed that his focus remains on playing quality cricket rather than the surrounding hype.

When asked about the rivalry with Pakistan ahead of the much-anticipated clash, Suryakumar acknowledged that the Salman Ali Agha-led side has been playing good cricket in recent T20I series but stressed India’s focus will be on their own plans and execution rather than looking at the opposition.

“They have been playing some good cricket. Heard they played well in other series as well. We want to stick to what we want to do." India's skipper said.

In the T20 World Cup, India and Pakistan will face off for the ninth time at the R Premadasa Stadium. In the previous eight encounters at the marquee event, the Men in Blue won on seven occasions, while Pakistan registered their only win in the 2021 edition of the tournament.

This shows India’s dominance over Pakistan in the history of the T20 World Cup, adding further intrigue and pressure to the upcoming high-stakes encounter in Colombo.